I think looking for a 'least friction' route to create these custom components is probably how the other examples you have found ended up looking wonky and slap

I think looking for a 'least friction' route to create these custom components is probably how the other examples you have found ended up looking wonky and slapped together. If you have some front-end developers that you are close with, I would ask for some guidance and an occasional push in the right direction once you get started. If you really do dislike front end, I would try to reframe how you approach this problem, because it will just end up being a slog for you :(